Early on the second morning of the Show Me Family Medicine MAFP conference, I jogged up and down the humid, sloping Ozark foothills around Camdenton, MO, dutifully taking my daily 30 minutes to myself that every physician wellness seminar admonishes me to do while sneakily combining it with the 30 minutes of exercise that Dr. Jen Knox, my own family physician, also advises me to obtain daily.  As I passed boats gently rocking in their slips and watched hawks circling thermals above the bluffs, I was reminded of my childhood summer days, long days spent swimming, climbing trees, biking and enjoying the companionship of neighborhood children.  These were the days before texting or social media and so spending time with friends meant actually telephoning them to ask, “Can I come over and play?” or, as we matured into adolescence, “Can I come over and hang out?”  After checking with a parent, we’d walk or bike over to a friend’s house or, if it was far enough, negotiate the logistics of which parent was driving to whose house and when.My time on MAFP’s executive commission has brought home for me the diversity of Missouri’s family physicians in terms of background, employment setting and future needs to optimize the health of our state’s population, particularly in historically marginalized or underserved areas.  I am humbled by the thought of representing such inspiring and passionate individuals.  And so, as I was installed last night as MAFP’s 2018-19 President, I echoed that childhood refrain by asking, “Can I come over?”  I pledged to visit all ten MAFP home districts in the coming year, meeting with each district’s director and his or her colleagues, staff, patients.  I likened Missouri’s family physicians to backpackers, carrying different tools while hiking the same trail, talking with passing travelers about what the trail is like in other sections and how to best navigate it safely.Knowing how hard it is for family physicians, especially those in crucial roles or geographic areas, to leave their daily work I asked if I could instead come to you, to learn from you how we can best navigate Missouri’s health care landscape together.  Can I come see your practice or employment site?  Can I take five or 30 or 60 minutes of your time to buy you a cup of coffee or a meal and hear what you, as a member of MAFP, need from your Academy?  Can I hear about or even from your patients, your staff, your physician colleagues, your family about the successes you’ve achieved in caring for your patients or improving health policy or procedure in Missouri?  Can I share your best practices with other MAFP members?  Can I ask about the challenges you continue to face as a Missouri family physician and in what ways MAFP can partner to reduce those?

Over the coming months I’ll be reaching out with MAFP staff to each director to ask which family physicians in their district might appreciate a visit and when.  If you want me to “come over”, contact your director and we’ll make it happen!  If you prefer to submit questions, comments or concerns indirectly, email MAFP staff at or go straight to your director.   If you’re unsure in what district you reside or whom your district director is, check out the list of districts and directors at https://www.mo-afp.org/about-us/board-directors/.

After I “come over” to each district, I’ll be blogging about my experiences here so all MAFP members can travel this trail together!

About the Author

By: Sarah Cole, DO, FAAFP